Island



G. PL BOSWORTH.

HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

FILED MAR. 21. 1919.

1 39.1. Fag-5.

Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,375.

17711671550? 66031961- Boar/007 771 PATENT OFMCE.

GEUBG'E P. BEER WORTH, 0T5 CENTRAL FALLS, EHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, EHQDZE ISLAND, CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- HQSIE: Y AND ll lETI-IOD OF IVIAKING THE SANIE.

Application filed March 21, 1919.

To allwhom it may concern Be it known that l, (i-uzonon P. Boswonrrn, a :itizen of the United and a resident of (,entrai Falls, in the county oft Providence and State of Ehode lsland, have inrented an Improvement in Hosiery and r of Making the Some, of which the tol ring description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, ii i. characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to hosiery and to ct makin the same, and has particular reference 0 fashioned hosiery.

The object of the invention is to provide a fashioned or properly shaped stocking that is capable of being produced cheaply and in a simple manner and which embodies distinctive features that materially enhance the attractirences and durability of the stocking.

To the accomplishment of the said object and such other objects as may later appear, my iu ention comprises a novel construction and method of producing the same as hereinaiite, described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one form of stocking embodying my invention.

In the drawings Fin. 1 is a side elevation oil? a finished stoi'zkingr made in accordance with any inven tion;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of: the preferred form oil". blank from which my stockmade; and

is a development Ol f another blank :ly modified construction and from which the stocking: embodying: my int Jntion in: y be termed.

"the invention relates more particularly to ninn wherein the blank is made either Wholly or in part in strip il ormation and later seamed along; one side only of the leg; and foot thereof, and l shall described the inrention with particular reference to tormation upon a circular knitting machine, but it to .be distinctly understood that tie construction thereof is not limited to this or any other form of knitting; inachinc, but within the purpose ana scope 01"" my lHYQIlElSR the stocking may be lmitted by hand or otherwise.

Serial No. 224,200.

The stocking embodying my invention when knitted by machine may be produced by rotary and reciprocatory movements of the needle carrier, or it may be produced entirely by reciprocatory movements thereof. The preferred method, however, involves both a rotary end a rotary reciprocatory movement of the needle cylinder, and. in carrying out this method of constructing the blank 1 preferably start the knitting oi the stocking; blank at the toe and upon only a portion of the needles which. preferably are arranged in a circular series, the entire complement thereof being just suflicient to knit the largest portion of the stocking blank, that is the tubular portion at the top of the leg thereof.

The number of needles employed in the formation of the tube may vary according to the size and texture of the stocking, but, as an example, in the present case it is a sumed that there are three hundred needles in the full set, While the foot and ankle portions may be formed upon, say, two hundred needles It is, however, to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to the use of the number of needles specified, but that the number may be Varied according to the size, texture or the nature of the fabric to be produced.

Assuming that the glove is to be formed upon .cirr'zular knitting machine by both reciprocating and rotary movement of the cylinder, knitting may be and preferably is started upon the smaller number of needles, namely the two hundred, and at the toe of the stocking blank, to form a course extendins; trom the point 4; along; the curved lines 5 and 6 to the point 7 (see Fig. The direction of the first course of knitting is, however, innnaterial, as it may be started in the opposite direction from that iudica-;e :l. depending; upon the point or time, during the operation of the machine. at which the change is made from rotary to rcciprocatory motion.

When the point 7 is reached the motioi'i of the cylinder is reversed and a second course is knitted into the first, until. the opposite edge 4 of the strip of fabric is reached, when the motion of the cylinder is again reversed, and this reciprocating movement continues upon the partial set of needlesuntil the point 8 in said strip is reached, Where the narrowing of-the toe pocket 9 begins. This narrowing operation is effected in the usual well known manner, that is by withdrawing from action substantially one-half of the needles previously employed in forming the strip and then by gradually withdrawing needles at opposite ends of the operative series of needles until a sufliciently narrow course has been knitted. The needles that have, during the knitting of said narrowing courses, been withdrawn from action retain their loops, and when these needles are subsequently brought into action in a reverse order to knit widening courses, the loops retained thereby will be interlooped with those of corresponding narrowing courses to form seams l0 and 11. \Vhen the toe pocket has been completed, the needles that were withdrawn previous to the forming of said pocket, are restored to action and-reciprocating knittii'ig proceeds on said needles to knit a strip including the instep 12 andarch 13 of the foot.

During the formation. of the strip, including the instep and :11 ch portions of the stocking, the rotary reciprocating movements of the needles produce selvagre edges at 14-. and 15, and these edges are subsequently seamed together along one :1" le only of the stocking. in thepresent instance the formation of a blank for a right-hand stocking is being described, that is, the seam is preferably to be formed upon the'lefthand or inner side thereof, but where a left-hand stocking is to be formed the operations will be reversed and the seam will be formed upon the opposite side of the stocking.

Although I have shown and described the stain as having been formed upon the inside of i he stocking it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to this arrangen'ient, but within the purpose and scope of my invention the seams may be formed upon the outer side thereof.

Upon the completion of the instep and arch portions of the foot strip and when the. ankle 16 is reached, the usual heel pocket 17 is preferably formed by the well known narrowing and widening operations previously escribed in connectionwith the formation of the toe pocket 9. Following; the completion of the heel pocket, the inactive instep needles are restored to action and. knitting proceeds upon all of the two hint dred needles employed in previously forming' the arch and instep of the foot strip,

to form the ankle strip 20, and this strip also has opposite selvaged edges 21 and 22 which are subsequently seamed, as in the case of the edges 14: and 15.

Having completed the formation of the ankle strip I now proceed to knit the calf portion of-the lee, and during the formation of this portion of said leg the strip is gradually increased in Width so as to fashion the same. This is preferably accomplished by automatically picking into operation by any of the well known forms of pickers certain needles at the ends of certain courses if it desired to rapidly increase the width of the strip, the needles may be picked into operation at the ends of conseciiltive courses, or if it is desired to make the increase in width of the strip less rapid, said needles may be inserted after a certain number of intermediate courses have been knitted. it is, however, to be distinctly ui'iderstood that the particular manner and the rapidity with which the needles are brought into ZlCllml may be varied within the scope and purpose of this invention.

The point at which the widening of the strip hereinbefore referred to takes place, is preferably indicated at and preforably add the new needles to the cours at one side only of the strip constituting said. calf, preferably the rear side thereof, and this I do in order to retain the forward edge 25 substantially parallel with the front line of the stockings, so that all of the fu ln s produced by the inruu'tion of said u c may he produced at the rear of the stockinn.

By the time the top of the calf of the leg portion of said stocking; has been reached, the largest number of needles will be in use. in other words, the full (X plement of three l'iundred needles will have be u brought into action and about the time the last these needles is beingbrought into action the ma,- chine preferably automatically shifts from. a rotary recipi'ocatory motion to a rotary movement, and knitting continues from t e point 26 indicating the upper end of the calf of said leg, to the top 27 of the stockin 1 thereby producing the seamless tubular portion 28. 7

Having completed the formation of said tube, the seaming: of the stocking; may now be effected by startinu either at the top or at the toe of the stocking); Pii'eiierably. however, I first seam across the toe pc I l: ingj; the edges a .d 6 and sub ouently ea together the edges .14: and is and the e 21. and 22 to the fashioneril calf portion of the stocking, uniting: the s 25- and 25 thereof to the point 526. where the circular knitting be ins.

It is not essential that the stitching operation be discontinued at the point 2o, but it may. if desired, he continued along the tubular portion 28 to the top of the stocking. as I have indicated in Fig. 1.

As I have previously stated, the blank from which the stocking embodying; my in vention is produced may be formed either on a reciprocating machine or a machine which operates to produce a portion of the liilank by reciprocating motion, and the remaining portion thereof by rotary or circular knitting, and I have illustrated in Fig. 3 a blank which may be produced entirely by reciprocating knitting.

1 preferably, though not necessarily, begin the knitting of this blank at the toe and upon less than the whole number of needles, say two hundred needles. This I do by knitting a plurality of courses starting at either side of the strip 33 preferably at 29, and proceeding to the point 30, and so on back and forth across the strip, until the line 31 is reached, which line represents the first course of the toe pocket 82. Here the nauowing for the toe pocket begins in the usual well known manner and as described i' connection with the form of blank illustrated in Fig. 2, and after narrowing and widening of the toe pocket has been completed, on only a part of the needles used to form the strip 33. I then restore to action the balance of the two hundred needles and continue the knitting of the strip until the line 3 is reached, which line represents the juncture of the heel pocket with said strip 33. At this time approximately one-half of the active needles are withdrawn from action and knitting continues to produce the narrowing and widening courses of the heel pocket in the usual well known manner, and after this has been completed I again restore to action the balance of said needles and continue the knitting of the strip to a line 8637, preferably indicating the juncture of the angle with the calf portion 39 of the blank. I

ll now proceed to knit preferably by gradually lengthening the series of needles for sufficient number of courses to form the fashioned. calf of the stocking, and this may be accomplished either by adding one or more needles in successive courses, or by skipping one or more courses and then addinga needle or needles. Preferably, however, the needles which are added during the gradually lengthened courses, are added at one side only of the strip, preferably at the right of F 3, indicating the edge of the rear portion of the calf of the leg, thus adding fullness to the rear rather than to the front of the leg. '1. he gradual lengthen iug of the courses continues until all of the needles of the cylinder have been brought into action, and this is accomplished when the top of the calf of said stocking has been reached. which point is indicated at 4L0. Lhrom this point on to the top ll, knitting); of the strip by reciprocating knitting continues upon the full complement of needles.

Both edges of. the strip 83 from the points and to the top 44 thereof, are selvaged, and these edges are subsequently stitched or seamed together to form the seam 42 illustrated in Fig. 1, said sea-m preferably extending from the first narrowing course of the toe pocket to the top of the stocking. The fabric of the strip from the line 31 to the line 29-430 is superfluous fabric which is later raveled back to the point where seaming of the too is to be effected, and the line indicating this seam is shown in Fig. 1 at 43.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that although I have described the operation of knitting the blanks for the stocking as beginning at a certain point in the toe. so

to form a seam across the top, it is within the scope and purpose of my invention that the seam thereof may obviously ex tend across the bottom of the toe.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, ll. desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed they are used. in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims:

1. A fashioned stocking having a continuous seam extending along one side only of the foot and leg portions thereof, the stock-- ing being otherwise seamless.

2. A fashioned stocking having continuous seam extending along the inside only of the foot and leg portions thereof, the stocking being otherwise seamless.

3. A fashioned stocking having a continu ous seam extending along the inside only of the foot and leg portions to the top of the calf thereof, the stocking being otherwise seamless.

at. A fashioned stocking haying toe and heel portions formed by narrowing and widening, and a continuous seam extending from said toe portion along one side only of the foot, ankle and calf portions thereof, the stocking being otherwise seamless.

A. stocking having a seamless, tubular leg, a calf portion fashioned at one side, angle and foot portions formed in a continu ous strip, the edges of said strip being stitched together to form a continuous seam said stockextending along one side only of the stocking being othev 6. A knitted stoclrii having and calf portions formed in a strip, one edge of said calf poi fashioned the edges of said seamed together along one side ..l stocking to form a continuous seam. and a. seamless, tubular, upper leg portion fora ing a continuation of said calf, the stocking being otherwise seamless.

7. A knitted stocking ha rii .3; and calf portion formed in a L/ a foot, ankle continuous oppositely selvaged strip, one edge of said calf portion being fashioned the edges of said strip bein stitched to ether to form formed a continuous seam along one side only of said stocking, the stocl iing being otherwise sez'znole I a portion of a series of: needles a strip of the foot and ankle p01 fabric constituti" tions oi the stem. 3, then in knitting upon series needles that gradually increased in nuiz'iber a one end only to form a iioned call, and then in knitting upon all of the needles a tubular portion constituting the log or the stocking.

'10. The method of making stocking,

which consists in knitting upon a portion oi circular'series of needles and by reciprocating knitting, a strip of fabric constituting toot andankl portions of the stock ing, then in knitting upon of needles that is gradually increased in number at one side onl 1 and by reoiiirocstiiw knittino' to u u II) of! term a fashioned alt as a continuation of said ankle portion, and then in knitting upon the full complement of needles by rotary knitting to form a tubular leg portion constituting continuationot said calf.

11. The method oft knitting a fashioned stocking, Which consists in knitting upon a portion of a circular series of needles by reciprocating knitting, a selyaged strip constituting the foot and ankle portions or the stocking, then in, knit-tings selvsoed strip upon gradually increasing series or needles to form a cab. fashioned at one side only and as a continuation oi said ankle, the eds :I of said foot, ankle and calf portions being subsequently united by a seam extending along one side of said stockin and in knitting upon the iull complement o't needles section of tubular tubric a con- ;unuation 01'? said call? and co stituting the upper portion of the stocking.

12. The method oi? making fashioned stocking, which consists in knitting upon a portion or a circular series oi needles, a selvaged strip constituting the foot and ankle portions of the stocking, then in continuing; the knitting upon a series oi: said needles that is gradually increased in number at one end to form the calf portion of said stocking a continuation oi? said ankle, and subse uently stitching together the edges of said several sections to form a seam along one side only of the stockin 13. A stocking blank having toot, ankle and call. portions formed in a continuous strip by reciprocating knitting, said calf portion being fashioned along the edge 24, the edges 1 and i5, 21 and 22, 2e and 25, respectively, 0t said foot, ankle and fashioned call? portions being stitched together to term a continuous seani extending along one side only oi the stocking, the stocking being otherwise seamless.

1 That method of knitting a fashioned cking which consists in knitting the toe oi a st cking by narrowing and Widening, then upon an incomplete circle of the same cit needles knitting the foot portion by reci, ro'cating motion to form a fabric selvaged at opposite edges along one side only of the foot, then. knitting the heel-by a na rowing and Widening operation, then knitting a porn n of the leg Whollyby reciprocating motion to form opposite seled edges -for a seem at one side only of the. stocking, and thereafter knittingthe upper portion of thestocking.

to, That method of knitting afashioned stock' grvhich consists in knitting the toe oi? a stocking by narrowing and Widening, then. upon an incomplete circle of the same series oft needles knitting the foot portion.

by reciprocating motion to form a fabric 1 selvaged at opposite edges along one side only of the toot, then knitting the heel by a n2 IOWlllflf and 'WlClQIllllg operation, then knitting a portion of the leg Wholly byreciprocating motion to form opposite sel-f raged edges for a seem at one side only of the stocking, upper portion oi the leg of the stocking by circi' lar knittin That n'iethod of knitting a stocking ice consists: in knitting the toe, then knitting the foot upon an incomplete circle of the sarneset oi: needles to "form two selvaged edgesto be seamed together along one side only of the toot. thenknittin the heel u Jon a portion 01" the same set of needles, then "ting the main portion of the. leg Wholly by reciprocating knitting upon an incomplete circle of the same set of needles soto provide two selvaged edges to be seamed together at one side only of the leg, end duriin the kni 'ig of said leg portion fashionin the fabric at one only of said edges. and finally in knitting the upper part of the leg portion Wholly by circular knitting.

17. A fashioned stocking having widened end narrowed heel and toe pockets, a foot having selvage edges at one side thereof only, and a leg having selvage ecges at one side thereof only, said edges being a con tinuation of the selvage edges of the foot, said selvage edges being seamed together.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my and thereafter knitting the 

